Judith C. Peckham
Executive Director
Judy became the Klee Foundation’s first executive director in 2006, bringing a broad background in the nonprofit sector. (For the nearly 50 years before the foundation established an office, the foundation board handled Klee operations under the direction of the board chair.)
Before joining the foundation, Judy served as assistant director of the Roberson Museum and Science Center, executive director of the Hoyt Foundation and the Community Foundation, and consultant to the Ahearn and Howland Foundations. In addition, she has volunteered extensively on the local, state and national levels.
Judy holds degrees from the College of Wooster and Harvard Graduate School of Education. She grew up outside of Cleveland and moved to Binghamton in 1965 after several years in Cambridge, Mass. In 1966, she left for Peace Corps service with husband Gene, returning in 1967 to Binghamton to raise their three children. Judy and Gene continue to enjoy educational travel.
Besides the travel, Judy especially enjoys music and theater. She serves on the vestry of her church.
If you visit the office you may also be greeted by her dog, Megan.
Michele Duquella
Administrative Assistant
When you call the Klee office, chances are that you’ll speak first with administrative assistant Michele Duquella. A lifelong Vestal resident, Michele says she was totally unaware of the local nonprofit world before she joined the foundation staff in 2006. Today, she knows a great deal and can help with most questions you may have. When the phone isn’t ringing, she manages vendor and grant accounts, processes grant payments, prepares notebooks of grant proposals for the board and performs many other tasks to keep the office running smoothly.
Michele enjoys adding to her knowledge about various nonprofits and meeting their staff when they come to the Klee office.
Outside the office, Michele loves spending time with her children and grandchildren. The grandchildren are quite young, so she must hold in check her hope to have them join her in travel. In an ideal world, she says, she also would love to become more confident in her ability to cook interesting and healthy meals.
Michele holds an associate’s degree from Broome Community College (as it was previously known), where she studied accounting.